RECIPE: Banana Bread
Relatively low-fat and good for you

by Shelby Kinnaird

After you've bought a bunch of bananas and they've started to get spotted and disgusting-looking, make this bread. Do not attempt to make it with nice, firm, yellow bananas. I can't remember where I got this recipe originally, but I believe it was from an early issue of Cooking Light. I'm not big on bananas, but I love this bread. It's great toasted for breakfast.

6 Tbsp. butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of regular 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick loaf pan. Set aside.

Place butter in microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave (100%) for approximately 20 sec. If it isn't completely melted, stir (it will continue to melt). Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and wheat germ in large bowl with wire whisk; set aside.

In medium bowl, mash bananas. (I like to use a potato masher.) Add yogurt, eggs, slightly cooled butter and vanilla; mix well.

Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with spatula until just combined. Batter should look thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until loaf is golden brown and passes the toothpick test,* about 55 min. Cool in pan for about 5 min., then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

* Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It it comes out clean, the bread is done.